


Beginnings: A New Door Opens

by Rochelle_Templer



Series: Inktober For Writers 2017 [10]
Category: City Hunter (Manga)
Genre: Gen, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-11
Updated: 2017-10-11
Packaged: 2019-01-15 22:51:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12330441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rochelle_Templer/pseuds/Rochelle_Templer
Summary: Ryo has a meeting that will change his life forever.





	Beginnings: A New Door Opens

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of my Inktober for Writers project. The prompt for this fic was "honor".
> 
> This takes place before Ryo and Makimura started working together as City Hunter.

“Before we talk about anything else, I have one question for you: why me? There are plenty of killers for hire in Shinjuku. Some of them might be better than me. So what made you decide to meet with me?”

Ryo was about to say more, but stopped and studied the man sitting across from him instead. He’d been told by some of his contacts on the street that there was someone who had heard about him and who wanted to have a talk in this café. All Ryo had been given was a name: Makimura Hideyuki.

Ryo narrowed his eyes. Makimura didn’t seem like the sort of person who would hire a contract killer. Then again, Makimura didn’t really make much of an impression at all with his worn trench coat and bland expression.

However, Ryo had learned a long time ago to look beyond surface appearances.

“I’m familiar with the fact that there are a lot of criminals in Shinjuku,” Makimura said, taking a sip of coffee. “But I’m not looking for just anyone.”

“Oh?” Ryo smirked. “I’m sure you are familiar seeing as you’re a cop.” Makmura blinked, but did not respond. “Surprised? Did you think that I wouldn’t check up on you before coming here?”

“No, I should have known that you would have,” Makimura said, ruefulness coloring his tone. “The fact that you did convinces me that I made the right decision in choosing you to talk to.” He took another longer sip of his coffee before sitting his cup down. “And to be more accurate, I used to be a cop.”

“All right, so maybe you are not currently getting a paycheck from the department,” Ryo huffed. “That doesn’t mean you’ve given it up entirely.”

Makimura nodded and adjusted his glasses. Although he was still unsure about this meeting, Ryo was impressed at how calm and controlled Makimura seemed to be. Normally, the people he encountered on business were either overly cocky to compensate for nervousness or they were skittish.

“You’re right,” Makimura finally responded. “I haven’t given up being a cop completely, but perhaps not in the way you think. Because my commitment to the law is why I left the force.”

Now, it was Ryo’s turn to be surprised and he leaned in, suddenly more interested in what Makimura had to say.

“When I was a detective, I saw plenty of injustice,” Makimura continued. “Of course, I expected a certain amount of corruption. I was never naïve enough to think that there were no dirty cops. Or that all crimes had a neat solution. However, the problem I had reached far beyond that.”

Makimura paused, lifted his cup and then set it back down without taking a drink. “It’s not just the payoffs or the use of excessive force that some cops embrace. It’s also the attitude that some victims are more deserving of justice than others. Or that there is no need to consider the wellbeing of the victims beyond their capacity to provide evidence.”

Makimura relaxed a little and finished the coffee in his cup before starting again.

“I don’t believe that the justice system as a whole is rotten beyond repair. But it does have enough cracks that too many victims fall into….and too many criminals slip through. That is why I wanted to meet with you. Because you have a reputation of following your own code in choosing your targets and I would like to suggest a way the both of us could work outside the justice system…so we can preserve it.”

Ryo smirked again, but inside he couldn’t put his finger on how he felt. He didn’t agree with everything Makimura said, but a lot of it made sense to him.

Either way, he was pretty sure that Makimura might have some answers to questions he had been carrying around for a long time.

“All right,” Ryo said with a nod. “Let’s talk.”  


End file.
